She's having my baby...

I have always loved babies, the smell, the chubby legs, everything about them. Well almost everything, I could do without the poopy diapers and throwing up but I guess it comes with the territory. I was always fascinated with the thought of becoming a mommy yet was never able to picture myself as one. Today as I sit here typing this I realize I am becoming one. I have a tiny little being growing within me created by two people who had been trying for more years than I care to remember. I had finally reached the point of "if it happens, it happens", and if Nicole Kidman can do it at 40 then by golly so can I. Everyone always says "quit trying and then it will happen". I never clearly understood how you can just "quit trying" when you want something so desperately. I also don't know that we actually quit trying, I guess I just wasn't pouring over the idea quite so much.


This past year has been a struggle for me. My Crohn's or so the Doctor thought was going haywire and no medicine was helping, I was miserable and sick almost everyday. After almost a year with no relief I was really starting to lose my sanity. For a year I questioned whether it was my Crohn's causing my sickness and for a year my doctor ignored me. That was until about a month ago when he finally admitted that my gallbladder might be the culprit, something I had been screaming at the top of my lungs about for a year.

I was a week away from finding out whether or not my gall bladder needed to come out when the unexpected happened...I found out I was pregnant. I had been questioning it for a week and for a week I refused to take the test for fear it would be another negative. Imagine my surprise when instead of one line I got two...pregnant. My only reaction was too cry and to walk out into the living room waving the stick in my hand to show my Husband who had been saying all along...you're not pregnant, you have been late and queasy before. Not pregnant huh, well here's your proof Daddy. His only word was "cool". I still don't think the shock of becoming parents has hit us and I don't think it truly will until we see the baby on the monitor for the first time and know for sure something is growing inside of me. I am two months into this pregnancy which means that we have seven more to go. I look forward to the end when after years of trying to have a child I will finally get to hold one in my arms.

Plans for my gall bladder are on hold for now although it will be addressed once I have successfully hit my second trimester. There is a digestive specialist in my OB's office who has operated on pregnant women for this same issue before and she feels that he will be my best bet. I of course would love to be able to hold off until after the baby arrives but sadly I have been sick now for over a year and am desperate for some sort of relief. I also worry what these symptoms are doing to by unborn child? That doctor and the nurse have both reassured us that the baby is fine as long as the problem doesn't worsen. If it does I am to contact them immediately. I pray I make it another four weeks when I will be officially in my second trimester. Fours week is so short when compared to the seven more months until February 18th is upon us. In February my entire life will change...I will be responsible for another little human being and while I look forward to the challenge I am also sad for the fact I will more than likely not be able to sleep in again until the child is 18 and even then as a Mother will I ever be able to stop worrying about this child of mine?

I look forward to sharing the rest of this pregnancy with you and I can't wait for the moment when I get to start sharing the milestones of this baby. Please sit back and join us for this wild ride into parenthood.

Love,
Katie

Missing in action...

I noticed the other day I have been very lazy with my posting and I realize it's because I haven't really been cooking or eating. I stopped taking my steroids about two weeks ago and I noticed a dramatic loss in my appetite and it seems to have gotten worse over the past week or so. I thought maybe it was because of this cold that I have been fighting or the fact my body is recovering from all of the cravings I had while taking the steroids.

Nope none of the above, it's because I am so nausea's I can't see straight and would you like to know why I am so nausea's I can't see straight...it's because I am going to be a Mommy and this time it's only going to have two legs instead of four. I always swore that when and if I became pregnant I wouldn't share the news with anyone other than my husband and our parents until I hit the second trimester due to the fact my pregnancies will be high risk due to the Crohns disease. I decided that 1) I couldn't keep my mouth shut that long, and 2.) I need all of the prayers and good thoughts I can get. I pray that my body doesn't fail me or this baby. I am very nervous now since the procedures that were planned to determine whether or not my gall bladder needed to come out have been canceled due to the risk involved. I don't know what we are going to do but I keep saying, "I am going to take everything one day at a time".

As of right now baby Blankenship will be making their appearance around February 18th 2010, let's keep our fingers crossed we get to that point!!

Summer Salad

Daniel made this salad during the first year that we were dating, it must have impressed the family because he is still around. It's simple and easy to throw together and most importantly it goes great with all of your summer functions.

Daniel's Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Ingredients:
2 lg. cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
2 pints of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, cut in half and then sliced
1 16oz. bottle of Italian dressing

Directions:
1.) Throw ingredients into a medium sized bowl and gently toss until dressing has coated everything.
2.) Refrigerate for 3-4 hours to allow the ingredients to marinate.

*We had to use a regular vidalia onion this go round because the selection offered at Wal-Mart was horrible. We like using the red onion for the color.

Chicken Enchiladas

I have been making these for several years and it was something that I just came up with one evening. I was forced to use the items that were in my pantry and everything just sort of took off from there. My family as usual really enjoys them and they are so simple to prepare.

Chicken Enchiladas~

4 chicken breasts

8 tortilla shells

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 onion, finely diced

2 tbsp. taco seasoning

1 tbsp. garlic salt

2 cans enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded cheese

sour cream

green onions

Directions:

1.) Bring to a boil in a large stock pot enough water to cover the chicken, add garlic salt and chicken and boil for 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked through.

2.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

3.) Once chicken has cooked and cooled, finely dice. I normally use my food processor but this time I just whacked it around with my knife until I got very fine pieces.

4.) In a large bowl mix together chicken, diced onion, cream of chicken soup, and taco seasoning.

5.) Spoon about 1/3 of a cup onto each tortilla shell and roll.

6.) In a 9x13 baking dish, spoon a thin layer of your enchilada sauce onto the bottom and begin placing the rolled enchiladas side by side. Top with the remainder of your enchilada sauce and then sprinkle on your cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until cheese has melted and the sauce around the edges is bubbly.

7.) Garnish with sour cream and green onions.

*You can also garnish with fresh tomato or black olives depending on your families preferences and instead of boiling your chicken you can also saute it in a skillet with about a tablespoon of butter and garlic salt. Once it's cooled you can whack it around just like you would if you had boiled it. I have always boiled it because it takes less work and you can sneak away from your stove for a few minutes and catch up with your blog reading.

I apologize for the horrible picture but it's the only one I managed to get of the dish. I made the enchilidas at home and then transported them to my Aunt and Uncles for the dinner. We were also outside in the bright sunlight and it was hard to see the quality of the picture when I took it. I am sure you all will forgive me though!

Mexican Fried Rice

We had a Mexican themed dinner on Saturday night with the family and I made my usual chicken enchiladas, which I will be sharing with you, as well as a new recipe. I found this one on grouprecipes.com and I was excited to try it out. The family loves fried rice so I figured this would be another winner and it was. I didn't care for it but I think it was because I was in one of those moods. I had managed in about a two hour time period to make the chicken enchiladas, Mexican fried rice, and the peanut butter delight cookies so I was worn out about the time dinner rolled around.

Mexican Fried Rice~

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked jasmine rice (I used 1 1/2 cups instant white rice)
1 1/2 cups water
1 egg (I used 2 eggs)
1 tablespoon garlic-flavor olive oil or olive oil ( I omitted)
1 pound fresh chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can Black Beans, drained
1 (11 ounce) can Whole Kernel Corn, with Red and Green Peppers
1 (7 ounce) jar sliced roasted red bell peppers, drained
1 (8 ounce) jar Taco Sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1.) Cook rice in water as directed on package.

2.) Meanwhile, spray 12-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium heat until hot. Beat egg in small bowl. Add egg to skillet; cook 1 minute or until firm but still moist, stirring frequently. Remove from pan; cover to keep warm.

3.)Heat oil in same skillet over medium heat until hot. Add chicken, onion and garlic; cook and stir 4 to 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Add beans, corn and roasted peppers; mix well. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly and breaking up chicken and roasted peppers as mixture cooks.

4.) Add cooked egg and rice; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in taco sauce; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Stir in green onions. Spoon mixture onto serving platter. Garnish with cilantro.

Peanut Butter Delights

Yes people I came up with my very own cookie recipe and if you enjoy peanut butter than this will more than likely become a favorite for you. The addition of peanut butter and milk chocolate chips adds to the peanut buttery goodness.

Peanut Butter Delights~

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1-11 oz bag Tollhouse peanut butter and milk chocolate chips

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

2.) Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Mix in the peanut butter and vanilla extract.

3.) Combine the flour 1/4 of a cup at a time. Add the baking soda and the salt. Mix until everything is incorporated.

4.) Gently fold in the peanut butter and milk chocolate chips.

5.) Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to sit on baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cooled.

Veggie Pizza

This another dish I learned how to make from my Step-Mom, it's a favorite of ours that doesn't get made very often but this week I was having a hankering for it. The hardest part of making this pizza is all of the chopping involved. If you want to cut some chopping corners use your food processor or you can buy everything pre-chopped and ready to go straight from your grocers salad bar.

Veggie Pizza

Ingredients:

2 tubes of crescent rolls

1 8oz. block cream cheese, softened

1 16oz. container sour cream

1 packet of Hidden Vally Ranch Seasoning

4 cups shredded carrots

4 cups finely chopped broccoli

4 cups finely chopped cauliflower

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1.) Roll out each tube of crescent rolls onto baking sheet, pressing together edges to form a pizza crust. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown. Allow to cool. (One tube of crescent rolls for each pan)

2.) Mix together softened cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch seasoning.

3.) Chop up vegetables and set aside.

4.) Put half of cream cheese/sour cream mixture on each "pizza" crust. Spread evenly.

5.) Top each crust with half of carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese and top with cherry tomatoes.

6.) Chill for one to two hours.

We often times eat this as our main dish, however it's great for snacking. The vegetables that I have listed above are the ones we like sticking to however feel free to experiment by adding different veggies.